Bewl Water: Lowest Levels in Four Years

Published on 18 May 2017 by Neil Miles (author)

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Southern Water are urging customers to be more considerate with their water use after what the Met Office said was the third driest winter on record. The call comes after the Bewl Water reservoir was declared a third empty.

The reservoir, that sits on the Kent and Sussex boarder in the rural village of Lamberhurst can contain enough water to supply 100 million people each day from Medway to Hastings. But due to the dry winter, stock is down by a third. Although Southern Water say that they have been pumping water from other sites in to the man made made reservoir.

A spokeswoman for Southern Water has said that a "use ban is not something we are considering at this point, but customers should still pay attention to the amount of water they use."

"If people act now, we may not have to implement a mandatory 'use ban' in the summer." Said the spokeswoman.

The last 'use-ban', formally known as 'the hosepipe ban' was introduced in the area back in 2013, when Bewl Water recorded water levels at under forty-percent capacity. This prevented people from using hosepipes for chores such as watering the flowers, washing the car and filing a swimming pool.

Toilet flushing and long showers are the two activities that waste the most water suggested the spokeswoman. "But leaving the tap running whilst people clean their teeth and wash up are also main contributors to waste." She said.

For more information on how best to save water visit southernwater.co.uk/savewater